Arequipa is Peru’s second-largest city and for me, it’s also its prettiest. Nestled at the foot of three dormant volcanoes, Arequipa has the perfect setting. Nicknamed the “White City” due to its historic centre that is packed with chalky white buildings made from volcanic rock, Arequipa is a great city to wander around. It’s also a great place for foodies, there is...
One thing that I’m not fond of when travelling is overland border crossings. They always seem to be a bit stressful, sometimes time consuming and often frustrating, especially the ones in Latin America. After our last Latin America border crossing experience from Ecuador to Colombia which took over two hours, we didn’t know what to expect from the border crossing...
At 3,270 metres (10,730 ft), the Colca Canyon or Cañon de Colca is the second deepest canyon in the world. But somehow, not many people have heard of it. It lives in the shadows of another famous grand canyon in Arizona that is actually only the 4th deepest one in the world! If you’re a keen hiker, Colca Canyon should be on your Peruvian bucket list. It’s a tough...
At the end of August, we said goodbye to Colombia and headed down South to Peru, our third South American country. We would spend the next five weeks there. We weren’t sure what to expect from Peru. Would it be too touristy? What would the weather be like? Would we survive the altitude? Fortunately, we loved Peru. Its people are friendly, it has some incredibly...
After spending over six weeks in beautiful and warm Colombia, it was time to move on. Our next destination was Peru, a country with very different scenery and a lot colder climate than Colombia. Were we ready to face the cold? Simon was; me on the other hand, am I ever ready for the cold? Nope! But as we flew from Bogota to Lima, the views of the Peruvian landscape...
I’m not going to lie, even though we booked a week in Bogota, we didn’t expect much from it. Bogota is not a place that most people rush to when they visit Colombia. A lot of people only spend a day or two there and others don’t even bother visiting Bogota at all. It’s just another big city, right? Of course, the capital of Colombia is a big city. After all, it has a...
Walking around Bogota, you can’t miss spotting the Cerro de Monserrate, the large hill that rises above downtown Bogota. With its church perched on top of it, the highest point in Bogota stands out. Monserrate is one of Bogota’s most popular tourist attractions because, as you can imagine, from its peak at 3200 metres above sea level, you get amazing views of the...
Have you heard of the legend of El Dorado? Maybe you’ve read a book about it or even seen the Disney movie? It turns out that this widespread legend is one of South America’s most mysterious stories and one that was born not far outside of Bogota, Colombia’s capital city. During our week in Bogota, we wanted to learn more about this mystical legend. So we went on a...
There is really no need for an introduction to Cartagena, Colombia’s most Instagram-prominent city. Cartagena is the perfect place for a warm-weather getaway. Cartagena has it all, that tropical Caribbean vibe and a historic old-town packed with colourful colonial architecture and cobblestone streets. Then there’s its charismatic locals, the nearby tropical islands...
The Tayrona National Park is one of the prettiest national parks in Colombia. Located on the Caribbean Coast, Tayrona is pretty much paradise on earth. With palm trees galore, stunning blue water, white sandy beaches and abundant wildlife, it’s everything you might be looking for in a tropical getaway. It sounds perfect and it sure is! The only problem with Tayrona...